Apparatus for supplying compressed air to pneumatic motors



' (No Model.)

I. HpRlflHARDS. A APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING COMPRESSED AIR TO PNEUMATIC MOTORS.

No. 446,822. Patented Feb. 17,1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

FRANCIS RICHARDS, CF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ECKLEY B. COXE, OF DRIF'ION, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS SUPPLYING COMPRESSED AIR TO PNEUMATIC MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,822, dated February 17, 1891. Application filed March 7, 1889. Renewed January 12, 1391. Serial No. 377,427. a. man.)

To a-ZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANCIS II. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hart-ford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Supplying Compressed Air to Pneumatic Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for supplying compressed air to pneumatic motors from a pipe adjacent to the tramway-line, the object being to furnish means whereby this operation may be accomplished in an expeditious manner.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation, drawn on a small scale, of a motor furnished with apparatus embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofthe same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section of the delivery and receiving valves in use. Fig. at is a top or plan view of the delivery-valve. Fig. 5 is a side view of the valve-receiver, illustrating its mode of operation. Fig. 6 is a section in line a a, Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of a part of the valve-receiver. Fig. 8 illustrates a modification.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

My said improvements being especially designed for use in mines, I have shown the same in connection with a motor M, supposed to be adapted for such service and to run on the rails a a of tramwayB. At a point alongside of the track I place a post P, carrying one end of a suitable supply-pipe 2, which receives the air from the source of supply and conveys the same to the motor. Connected to this pipe is a hose-pipe N, such as ordinarily used in connection with rockdrills, &c. A stop-valve 3 may be placed in the pipe 2 for shutting off the air-supply as required. The delivery-valve (designated in a general way by D) consists of a body l, usually secured to the hose by a coupling 5; a valve 18, arranged to deliver air to the passage 7 in the receiver-head H; a resistance-spring l9, acting on said valve to close the same, and certain minor details completing the delivery head or 'and arrangements valve D. The valve 18, as one means for actuating the same, has a stem projecting without the body a to rest against and be driven back by that part of the head II on which said stem abuts. As shown in the drawings, and preferably, said stem is a hollow tube 21, extending from the valve 18 through the packing 22, stuffing-box gland 23, and nut 24. Holes 25 are made in the stem 21, through which the air gains access to the interior thereof. A packing disk or ring 26 is placed around the orifice 31 of the valve-chamber 61, and is or may be held in place by the tubular nut 27. The point of tube 21 enters said nut (when the same isused) and bears at 28 on said washer. This, when the tube is firmly held against said washer, forms of the interior of the tube, the valve-chamber, and the passage 29 a continuous way from, the valve-seat 32 to the interior of the tank M. A cap 33 closes the rear end of the valve-body A and serves, by reason of the long screw-thread 34:, as a means for compressing the spring 19 to its normal workingtension.

On the side of the inotor tank, or, if preferred, on any other suitable part of the mo tor, I place the receiver, through which the compressed air (or other compressed gas for motive power) is supplied to the tank. This receiver may be of various particular forms but the construction shown in the drawings I consider a suitable one for the purpose. This receiver (designated in a general way by H) consists of a plate or frame 6, securely attached to the motor-tank, and having the valve-chamber 61, the supplypassage 29, and the valve-seat 7, and means (as the stud S or the like) for supporting the check-valve 9 by its stem 10. A spring 11 should be provided for assisting to close said valve 5 also a vent 12 should be provided. One end of the head H is provided with a plunger, as F, whose face 30 is located and constructed to be forced against the deliveryvalve, and thus actuate the same. The plunger F is operated by devices constructed to impart a longitudinal motion thereto. One such device is the ordinary screw-stem 40, operated by a crank or the like 41, as shown in Fig. 8.

This arr: ngement, \vhile elliective, not considered sufliciently convenient, and accordingly I have designed a device adapted for quicker operation. This consists of a handlever at, whose short arm 15 is connected to actuate slide F by a link ad or other wellknown connection.

In Fig. 5 the lever It is shown raised and the slide F retracted. In Fig. l the opposite position of said parts is shown. In the latter case the pivot 47 is shown above the center line of pivot 48 and stud 50, which stud is fixed to the head II (or the tank-plate) and carries said lever H. For properly limiting the stroke of lever at I construct the hub 49 thereof with a segmental stop 52, which engages another similar (but fixed) stop 54, on the hub of the head or frame II. The space 56, Fig. (3, shows the are of movement of the arm 45.

In using the apparatus, air being admitted to the valve-body t and the valve 18 being closed, the attendant, on the motor coming to rest, seizes the hose N and places the valve D within the pocket or chamber forward of plunger .F. The engineer then forces down the lever A, which pushes the stem 21 against washer 2G, and then drives forward the body 4, compressing still more the spring 19, and opening the valve 18 to deliver air to the valve 9, and through passage 29 into the tank M. The tank being filled, the lever at is lifted, thus retracting the plunger F and permitting the spring 19 to close valve 18, when the valve D is removed from its seat in said head 11 and the motor is ready to proceed.

By this improvement the motor-tank can be filled very quickly, since coupling on the hose-pipe opens the valve simultaneously.

Il'aving thus described my invention, 1 clain1- 1. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination, with a tank having a receiverhead, substantially as described, of a supplypipe, a delivery-head on said pipe, said delivery-head having a valve opened by a projecting stem, and the receiver-head having a plunger operating said delivery-head to open said valve, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of the receiver-head having the plunger, the passage normally closed by a check-valve, and the delivery-head having a valve adapted to be opened by a stem driven by said plunger against the receiver-head at said passage, substantially as described.

The combination of the valve-body it, having seat 32, the spring-actuated valve 18, having a hollow stem and openings thereinto, said stein projecting outside of said body, as set forth, and a receiver-head having a socket adapted to receive said stem and furnished with means for operating said valve by pressure thereon, substantially as described.

a. The combination of the valve-body 4, having seat 32, valve 18, having stem 21 and openings 25, the packing around said stem, and spring 19, substantially as described.

5. In apparatus of the class specified, the combination of the receiver-head, the delivery header valve, the plunger, the lever and link operating said plunger, and the stops limiting the movement of said lever, substantially as described.

FRANCIS ll. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

IIENRY L. RECKARD, LEWIS C. IIEERMANN. 

